After you finish dialing and you hear that first audio prompt (usually “Press 1 for English, 2 para Espanol”), stop. Don’t press anything. Stay quiet and keep your fingers away from the keypad. In order to provide customer service for those with (archaic) rotary phones, the system automatically connects you to an operator (usually a customer service specialist) after failing to detect a touchtone response.

Filed away in some lost neural pathway, it sparked me today on trying to ask a specific question about my home mortgage to Chase. I was in the dead end about 7 button presses deep, it offered me three choices, none of which were appropriate, and none of which offered a connection to a human.

I pressed Zero.

I am sorry, that is not a valid response. Press 1 to blah blah blah….

So I thought about the Lifehacker idea above, and did nothing. Waited.

I am sorry, but you have not entered a response. Press 1 to blah blah blah….

Okay.. just wait… just wait… and then

I am sorry, but you have not entered a response. Press 1 to blah blah blah….

Oi! Will this work?… wait a minute, a tone change and..

Please wait while we connect you to an operator.

And it did! A person came on and in less time I spent pushing buttons had answered my question. Sometimes, indeed, you can get action by taking no action. Try passive aggression on the phone tree.

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An early 90s builder of the web and blogging Alan Levine barks at CogDogBlog.com on web storytelling (#ds106 #4life), photography, bending WordPress, and serendipity in the infinite internet river. He thinks it's weird to write about himself in the third person.

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